We small Independent Software Developers (micro-ISV's) should not be afraid of large software companies. Look at Microsoft, for example:
A while ago, three of their boffins spent quite some time trying to copy my research, but they admit in their cover letter that they fell short. I am not a Ph.D. so I didn't understand their paper much. In fact I have been a beach bum while they were doing their homework:
Now don't I look like a "terrorist".. The areas where I dwelled the longest (Taba, Sharm el Sheikh and Ras Satan) have, in the meantime, all been bombed by "Al Qaida". But to return to the topic: Large software companies by definition are unable to produce good software. It's pretty sad that even after years of development and aquisition by Google, Blogger's "Upload Image" still doesn't work. And don't get me started on MS products. Simple things like typing a word in a certain font does not work. Copying files does not work. Cut & paste doesn't work (Why would I want to copy a trailing space when I double-click a word?) No Microsofties, I am neither impressed nor afraid.